Would-be entrepreneurs get set for Start-Up Week Dublin

Dublin is the place to be for would-be entrepreneurs over the coming days with close to 50 free events taking place across the capital for start-ups.

More than 100 guest speakers, including Blade Runner 2049 producer Tim Gamble and countless well-known company founders, will be sharing their experiences of building companies as part of Start-Up Week Dublin.

Techstars, an international business accelerator that has backed more than 1,300 companies globally, has teamed up with Dublin City Council for the week, the first event of its kind to be held in the capital.

The week includes networking events, keynote speeches, panel discussions and workshops covering issues such as getting started, joining a tech company, finding funding, how to build out your team and how to promote diversity. There will also be mentoring opportunities from leading entrepreneurs and investors.

“If you’ve been thinking about beginning a start-up, want to jump into a high-growth business or scale your company to new levels then Start-up Week Dublin is designed for you. It showcases the people and places that can help you take that next best step,” said Gene Murphy, entrepreneur in residence at Bank of Ireland and co-organiser of the week-long initiative.

Events have been scheduled for times that suit participants who could be working full-time but wish to learn more about how to start a business, take part in an intensive workshop or join a fast-paced company.

Founded in Boulder, Colorado, in 2006, Techstars is a global network that runs accelerator programmes and provides funding and mentoring to start-ups. The organisation has more than 1,600 portfolio companies, including Irish start-ups such as SwiftComply and Talivest (formerly KonnectAgain). Dublin is the 58th city globally in which the accelerator has run a start-up week.

According to figures from the council, last year saw a record number of start-ups created in Dublin with 22,354 new companies formed.